The World With Shrimp
by Feygan
Summary: In an AU of the Wishverse, Xander makes the decision to leave Sunnydale before the Master opens the Factory. He ends up in the wizarding world and things go badly for both the sides of light and dark. Some slash scenes, some het scenes.
1. Chapter 1

1. part one

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"I think I broke the Puppy."

Xander sighed and turned to look. Willow was kneeling on the floor with a mound of ash spread out in front of her. An unhappy frown twisted her whole face, but there really wasn't much comprehension there.

"Dammit, Wills, you know that that's the one thing we weren't supposed to do. We could have all the fun we wanted, but we weren't supposed to kill the Puppy. Now we're going to get yelled at, maybe even tortured. I'm responsible for you. How do you think that makes me feel, huh?"

She pouted. "I'm sorry. The Puppy was naughty. He was all squirmy and made the knife slip. His head just went 'plomp' and came right off." She bit her lip and her eyes went wide and childish. "Are you mad at me?"

Xander sighed again and rolled his eyes. "No, Wills, I'm not mad. I'm just a little disappointed in your behavior."

Her lip quivered and she looked like she was about to cry. "I'm sorry."

She really wasn't, but a memory of the girl she had once been told her that an apology was always a good thing to offer to avoid discipline, especially when Xander was acting like a parent. It was usually when he was being the most "disappointed parent" that he was the most screwed up and caused the most pain.

Having a crappy home life when alive had pretty much translated to him being a complete asshole when dead, especially when he was pissed off. The "parental voice" was a sign he was close to the edge and the whips and chains and squirt bottles of Holy water were about to come out. Her only hope was that he wasn't going to get all crazy mad and bring out his special toys, the ones she really didn't want to play with.

Xander knew that frustrations from dealing with the Master had really taxed his control. He was fast approaching the uncontrollable stage, and he couldn't really even force himself to care. There was a definite giggle wanting to claw its way out of his throat and he wanted to caper around and make the bloodbags squeal. And even though she had once been his best friend and was now his Mate, a part of him recognized Willow as being weaker than him, and thus fair game.

Sure, Willow was a master vampire, but there were limits to what that meant. An insane, childish mind wrapped in a sexy package that still attracted him even as part of him was repulsed. She was weak, and being around her made him somehow weak. She was his vulnerability, and all of his enemies knew it.

He had hoped that some semblance of sanity would be returned to her as time went by, but that hadn't happened. She was still completely insane, depending on him to be her voice of reason.

And he was getting tired of taking care of her.

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2. part two

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Killing Willow hadn't been as hard as he had always thought it would be. Sure, they had been friends since forever and lovers since they were Turned, but in the end, that whole not having a soul thing made it pretty easy for him to take her out of the equation. Not having any kind of conscience totally rocked, that was all he had to say about it.

It was funny that he would be the one to survive even though this new life had started out with there being three of them-Xander, Willow, and Jesse. If he had honestly thought about it, picturing his human self in his mind, he would never have believed that he would have been the one to make it through. Yet here he was, way past that whole living in Sunnydale thing, traveling out and about in the wide and wonderful world.

He probably could have stayed in Sunnydale and ruled things with the typified iron-fist, but it just wasn't worth it. He hadn't wanted to deal with the trouble of telling the Master that not only had he allowed Angel to be ashed, but that he had killed Willow himself. He just so wasn't into the being punished lately. Torture had never been a fun thing for him, at least when he was on the receiving end. Giving it was a whole 'nother story.

So he stole a car and roared out of Sunnydale, driving around and exploring the wide wonder of the US of A for awhile, before that got boring and he headed across the ocean for some kind of foreign adventure. Which was how he ended up in Scotland just when things started to get interesting... and fun.

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3. part three

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"Hogsmeade, who the hell named this place?" he said out loud, ignoring the odd looks he received. He really didn't care what anyone thought. They were only human.

Strolling down the vaguely crooked cobbled streets and looking at the old-fashioned crap, he really had to wonder what kind of freakland he had stepped into. He hadn't know that Scotland was like this, but he really wasn't that surprised. He had seen a lot of weird shit since his rebirth as a bloodsucking fiend.

Spotting someone skulking around alone, he grabbed the man's arm and hauled him into an alley. He needed some information.

"All right, I've got some questions and you're going to answer them. But first, dude, what the hell are you wearing?"

The black haired man with the sallow complexion and greasy black hair looked down his long hooked nose at him. "Release me," he ordered.

Xander snorted and squeezed his grip on the man's arm, liking the feel of flesh squishing around bone and the way the man whined in sudden pain, but interestingly didn't scream. "You're gonna answer my questions, buddy, or I'm gonna have fun making you squeal. Pig, pig." He giggled breathily.

The man grit his teeth and glared at him. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"You may call me Master. And I will call you Puppy. Now, what's with the dress, man?"

"My name is Severus Snape and..."

Xander clicked his tongue against his teeth and twisted his grip until he felt more than heard the pop of snapping bone. "Wrong. Your name is Puppy. And I asked about your dress. I don't care who you used to be."

"Why..."

Xander couldn't believe the guy was still ignoring his simple question, still trying to be smart. Still, he thought that he was going to have fun breaking the new Puppy, making the new pet.

When the man's other hand came whipping around with some funny stick in it, Xander didn't even hesitate. That was one of the things that made mortals such easy meat... they always paused and considered, always hesitated that microsecond that made them so damn easy to kill.

He grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it until bone snapped, then head-butted the man just hard enough to knock him out and not cave his skull in. The stick fell to the ground with a clatter, rolling away to points unknown. Xander didn't care about it. He had what he wanted.

"You're going to tell me everything about this weird place," he murmured into Puppy's unhearing ear. "And I'm going to teach you how to behave."

He hadn't felt this alive in years. He just knew he was going to have some fun... before the world burned.

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4. part four

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Screaming. All he could hear was the sound of his own voice screaming.

The world was melting around him, reality shifting and reforming, colors blurring, lines crossing, melting, sheering, tilting, whirling, blurring, losing all hold, everything slipping away, darkness filling up the light while all he could do was SCREAM.

Master's voice became the world. The world was Master's voice.

Puppy woke in darkness, turmoil complete. Lost and frightened in the never ending, shifting, HUNGER.

He could hear himself whining, no longer screaming, just begging wordlessly to be Fed.

"Poor, Puppy, you're Hungry, aren't you?" Master's voice was the world. The world was Master's voice. "Here, because I love you. Because you're special."

Something warm and alive was pressed against him, and even with his eyes tight closed, he could FEEL the warm rush of life and heat beneath the surface of the flesh. He didn't hesitate. There was no hesitation in him.

His teeth closed on a pulsing heartbeat and he began to suck powerfully, filling his mouth with delicious relief from that grinding belly pain.

"Please, Professor, please, no..."

His throat swallowed and he could feel the LIFE filling him up, making him whole, making him strong enough to do what his Master wanted, needed him to do.

"Good, Puppy, good." A hand stroked his hair, so gentle and soft that for a moment he could almost forget the screaming inside of some forgotten and dead thing.

Master's voice was the world. The world was Master's voice.

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5. part five

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"Where the hell is that greasy git..."

Harry turned his head to smirk at Ron. "Maybe he's taking his yearly bath."

Ron's lips twitched, but he managed to keep from laughing when Molly glared at them. "Watch your language, Charlie," she ordered.

"Sorry, mum, but he was supposed to be here an hour ago. Where is he?"

The door opened and Dumbledore strode in with McGonagall at his side. "I have grave news," he said, posing at the front of the room.

The gathered Order members settled around the table to hear the bad news. No matter how much they dreaded it, some part of them had become used to hearing the regular announcements about who Voldemort and his followers had killed since their last meeting. After the first few dozens names, a sort of numb acceptance had taken the place of the original shock.

"Professor Severus Snape has disappeared," Dumbledore said. "I strongly fear that Voldemort has discovered his dual allegiance and has made a lesson of him."

"How do you know he didn't just run off?" Moody demanded.

Dumbledore reached into his robe pocket and held up a wand. "This was found in an alley in Hogsmeade. There were slight signs of a struggle."

"How'd you know he was missing so fast?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore looked sad. "Severus was supposed to meet me for lunch. When he didn't appear, I had a grave feeling that something had happened to our dear friend, but I truly hoped that it wasn't so. He would never run away, especially not without his wand."

"What are we going to do?" Molly asked. "He knows who all the Order members are. He knows our latest plans and operations. Even with the Countermeasures in place, Voldemort might still be able to get some information out of him."

"The Countermeasures will have gone into affect the moment Severus faces Voldemort and realizes that he has been discovered," Dumbledore said. "By now, Severus is already dead."

Even though Harry had never liked the greasy git, it still hurt to see Dumbledore so sad.

It was strange to think of a world without Snape in it. Hogwarts was never going to be the same again.

The world was gone mad, and all the people had gone with it.

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6. part six

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A secret society of magic users. It was a delicious concept that made him want to giggle madly and rub his palms together in typical evil villain style.

Puppy was a fount of information about this whole new world and Xander was most pleased with his choice of pets.

It was always just so awesome to find out that even when he was being totally random, he ended up doing something great for himself.

Curled up on the bed with Puppy and their latest broken toy-a blond haired doll of a girl that had screamed and begged and bled so pretty a red onto the white sheets before finally choking into silence on the bubble of blood upwelling out of her throat-he thought that maybe he had finally found the excitement he craved.

It had been a long time since he had felt so interested in anything. A world comprised entirely of magic users. A "Dark Lord" intent on taking everything over. A heroic teenager destined to kill the bad guy. And here he was right in the middle of it all, a secret last minute entrant into the fun.

"This is going to be great," he gushed.

"Master?" Puppy asked, rolling his eyes to look at him.

"Shut up," Xander ordered, slapping Puppy across the back of the head, "and keep sucking."

Puppy lowered his mouth back to Xander's groin, his lips wrapping around velvet flesh, his tongue wet and hungry while his throat kept swallowing and swallowing, all moist pink flesh.

"You have a pretty mouth," Xander purred. "I'm glad I chose you, Puppy. Because even though you're ugly, you're useful and that's always a good thing. Keep it up and maybe I'll keep you around for awhile."

"Y's M's'ter," Puppy said around Xander's flesh.

Folding his arms behind his head while he leaned back against the headboard, Xander decided that it was time to have some real fun.

Breaking Puppy had been easier than he had expected, and while fun, there was still so much he wanted to do with his new toy... like find Puppy some playmates.

"Daddy never let me play with action figures," he said. "He always thought they were too much like dolls, and dolls were for girls. But I killed him, so what he thought doesn't matter anymore, stupid fleshbag."

Reaching out, he clenched his hand tight in Puppy's hair, grinding the man's face tight against his groin while he thrust his hips upward. "One brush of fang and I'll rip out all your teeth with a pair of pliers," he threatened, then smiled almost gently down at his pet. "You want some friends, don't you? And just like on Star Wars, I'm going to get you a Luke and a Vader. A hero and a bad guy. They'll be fun to play with, and once they break... we'll just have to find some more."

Puppy made a querying sound even as he kept working.

"What was that kid's name? Harry Planter? And that other guy... Voldywart? Whatever. They're going to be mine soon. And if you're good... I'll let you use them as chew toys once I'm done having my fun."

The world was suddenly all shiny and bright, filled with a thousand possibilities for enjoyment. And regrets? Those were things that happened to other people.

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7. part seven

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Standing in the shadows, Xander thought about all he had learned of his chosen subject.

Even all broken and everything, Puppy could be surprisingly verbal with his opinions. He was just lucky that Xander found it amusing, 'cause otherwise... Well, Willow had given up that whole babbling thing of hers, hadn't she?

"Hm, Hermione Granger," he said, a smirk tugging at his lips.

She was hanging out with what he assumed was her family, two ordinary people that weren't going to be able to zap him with the magics.

From Puppy's description he had expected to see a mass of frizzy brown hair and a pale half-moon face. But really, with a bit of work, she could be quite pretty. Or at least useful.

"And student witches aren't allowed to use their magic away from their school. Ah, poor little girl, defenseless and alone. Tasty treat."

Striding forward through the shadows, he had to love the kind of people that would think nothing of having a backyard barbecue just after the sun went down. The kind of people that hadn't learned to fear the shadows and the night.

A meal sure was easier to find here in the wide-wide world than it had gotten to be in Sunnydale. They were practically throwing themselves on his fangs, they were so desperate for his bite. It was awesome.

Tucking his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, he began to whistle a jaunty tune.

Just as Puppy had said, the wards that were supposed to be around the Granger property didn't even flicker when he passed through. Because even though he obviously didn't belong, he wasn't a traditional magic user and he didn't have the mark of a Death Eater.

The girl saw him first, her eyes going wide and her breath coming all in a gasp. He could hear the sound of her heart speeding up in her chest and it made him want to laugh.

"Hello," he said, not even trying to hide his American accent.

He figured he would have his fun, then Puppy could come in and use the girl's wand to cause some kind of magical ruckus so the blame would be spread around a little. It kind of made him regret not grabbing that stick when he had seen it fall, but how was he supposed to know the man-dress was actually a robe and Puppy was a wizard?

Most of the magic users he had known were a bit more low-key. That or they tended to walk around with soulless black eyes or clothes that fluttered with flames that didn't burn.

This whole secret society thing made him want to laugh though, because if he played his cards right, he could take a huge chunk out of their population and there wouldn't even be any stories on the six o'clock news.

Murder and mayhem on an epic scale, and when he finally moved on to other fun, he could start fresh and no one would ever know to be afraid. Very cool.

.

8. part eight

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Puppy was not pleased to receive a new "playmate," but Master told him to watch after her and not screw things up, so he was going to do what he was told.

It was hard not to look at her and think of her old name, but she wasn't that blithering creature anymore. She was Parrot now, and Master said she was going to be his new mouthpiece, though he hadn't yet explained what that meant and Puppy was a little afraid to ask.

Standing over the bed where she lay, he could feel that vibration through him of blood calling to blood. The Master flowed through her veins just like through his own. She was his sister now, no matter how he had once felt about her, and Master said they would be loyal, to him and to each other.

"It's time to get up," he said.

Her eyes opened in a flash and she jerked upright on the bed, her hair tumbling around her shoulders. "Where..."

"Master says its time to begin your training, Parrot," he said.

She squinted at him a little. "Professor Snape?"

"I am Puppy," he said, not letting himself flinch at the sound of that name. "You are Parrot. Dress yourself. Master calls."

"Master? What master?" she asked. Her mouth fell open a little. "It's not V-Voldemort, is it?"

A faint smile quirked Puppy's lips. "Master will make Voldemort his toy. He says that when he is done playing, Voldemort will be mine to do with as I will. Now come, Miss... Parrot. Master calls, and he hates to be kept waiting."

"Who... Who is Master?" she asked, but she obediently got out of the bed and began to dress. She didn't even seem to realize that she had forgotten mortal shame and made no attempt to hide her nakedness from him.

"Master is the world," he said. "And he will show you the power of his voice and you will know the truth. You are Parrot and I am Puppy and Master is everything."

She gave him a strange look, but Master's blood in her veins was already changing her in powerful ways. Soon she would understand everything. Master would show her the truth.

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9. part nine

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Parrot was actually pretty cute in the light, especially on her knees with her lips glistening with blood and lust.

"I am going to teach you some valuable lessons on life," Xander told her, reaching out to caress her cheek gently with his fingertips. "You're my brand new project. The toy I'm going to play with."

Puppy made a tiny whimpering sound down in the bottom of his throat. He was huddling in an out of the way corner, his knees drawn up tight against his chest. A dark-clad shadow with shoulder-length black hair falling around his face like a greasy curtain.

Xander turned his head to grace him with a gentle smile, feeling strangely generous with his new playthings. "Don't worry, Puppy, you'll always be the first of my new toys. I'm never going to forget about you. Not even with pretty Parrot here." He pressed a fingernail hard against her left cheek, liking how she had already learned not to flinch and draw away, not even when blood welled up under the pressure.

He raised his thumb to his lips and licked it clean. "You're both the beginning of our new family. The Order of Xander Harris. Can you dig it, baby?"

Puppy looked vaguely confused about the phrasing, but nodded eagerly. He was willing to do anything Xander wanted, and that made Xander happy.

"I was an underling for too long," Xander said, stepping away from Parrot so he could pace around the room. He could feel the energy thrumming up his legs to engulf his whole body. ACTION, something in him screamed, along with MAYHEM and MURDER and MADNESS. "I'm not a minion and no one better make the mistake of ever thinking of me that way. I was always a Childe, always... always the Master. I'm not weak like Willow was. I'm not stupid like any of them were, I'm better than they are or ever will be. And Sunnydale," he snorted, "who needs that little town anyway, when I've got the whole fucking world at my fingertips?"

He threw himself across the room and onto the bed, rolling over onto his back so he could look up at the ceiling. Neither Puppy or Parrot made a move, knowing better than to draw his attention when he was like this. No longer cheerfully indulgent, but frighteningly manic.

Sometimes, after he was done "flipping a wig," he would actually regret the things he had done, especially if he ended up killing someone he wanted to play with more. So he was glad that they didn't do anything stupid, not when he was slipping and sliding back into that weird Dru-Spike state of mind where everything that moved should bleed and he didn't care about consequences or much of anything else.

There was always a drawback to every good thing, even being the ultimate monster. His was the complete and utter loss of control he sometimes experienced when he was feeling the strongest kinds of emotion. Love, hate, lust, despair, it was all the same.

"I'm gonna make the world bleed," he whispered fervently. "Everyone that made me feel anything is going to die. And I'm gonna be a god and no one and nothing better try and stand in my way. Not with rocks or guns or stupid pointing sticks. 'Cause I'm gonna kill 'em all."

He laughed a little to himself, feeling the acid bubbling up inside, that need to MAIM and KILL and RAPE and RAVAGE and tear the world apart. His demon stirring in the most delicious ways, feeding off the remnants of the human Xander in the best way possible, digging at all the emotional baggage and making every little speck of unhappiness an aching maw bent on swallowing the world whole.

"Come here," he ordered, glancing from Parrot to Puppy. "Make me feel better. And if you make me happy... I won't have to burn you alive with the rest."

There was something pleasing about how quickly they hurried across the room to him, scrambling up on the bed to lavish him with all the attention he needed.

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10. part ten

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Hermione Granger disappeared on a mild Friday afternoon in mid-July. Her parents' bodies were found torn to bits in their bedroom two days later. They had been stripped and forced to do heinous things to themselves and each other before someone else had taken his enjoyment. No DNA evidence of the intruder was found, though there were signs that a third-male-person had been in the room with them.

Investigators finally came to the conclusion that the intruder had forced Mr. and Mrs. Granger to act against each other by threatening to harm their sixteen year old daughter. Finally, when they were too wounded to be able to protect themselves or get away, he had killed them and taken their daughter with him anyway.

Warnings went up around England urging people to be on the look out for young Hermione Granger. If anyone knew of her whereabouts they were to immediately call the authorities. But it was already pretty much decided that she was long since dead and there would be no hope of finding her alive.

Whoever had taken the girl had probably already raped, murdered, and disposed of the body. All anyone could really hope for was that there wasn't a serial killer on the lose and this wasn't the beginning of an English version of the Summer of Sam.

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11. part eleven

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Somewhere in her head, she knew that she should probably be more upset about this sudden and unexpected life change than she was.

But Master had "bought" her a bunch of pretty new dresses and there had only been a few specks of blood staining one of them. He had Puppy curl and style her hair into what they had both proclaimed a lovely fashion. And even without being able to see her own reflection, she had never felt more beautiful. Especially when Master had laid her on the bed right then and there-her hair falling across the pillows like some crazy waterfall while her skin shivered with anticipation-and had ducked his head under her dress to taste between her legs.

The whole world was frighteningly brand new, but with Master and Puppy beside her, she felt as though nothing could stand in their way. They were an unstoppable force of destruction, three against the world.

Looking at Puppy curled against her side, she couldn't imagine how her living self had ever thought him ugly. He was so beautiful now, with his sneering lips and eyes that burned like coal, and after Master had her wash his hair out several times, it shone glossy black like the wings of a crow. He looked like a fallen angel, like the devil himself, and she felt as though she wanted to hold him and never let go, her deliciously dark brother.

"When will Master be back?" she asked. Puppy always knew, since he was Master's first and favorite, but she wasn't too resentful. Master loved them both and he had promised them both their own places in his new world order.

"Soon," Puppy said, shifting his head up off the coverlet to rest his cheek against her stomach so he could gaze up at her. "He says he's going to bring us back some treats. He says we're going to have ever so much fun."

Parrot smiled. "I hope so." She reached out a pale hand to run it through his hair, liking the way the coarse locks slipped and slid through her fingers. "Fuck me?"

Puppy rose up on his knees. "But of course, my dear."

"You're not ugly anymore," she said, writhing a little under his ghosting fingertips. "I don't think you might ever have been ugly at all. You taste like lovely blood. I want you to bleed for me."

He laughed, a full rich sound that he never made when Master was near, somehow knowing that Master would not like it. "I only bleed for Master," he growled, grinding against her. "Master is the world. You are only a piece of him."

She pouted, raking her fingernails against his suddenly bare back. "I miss Master. When is he going to be back?"

"Soon, pretty Parrot, soon."

"Good."

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12. part twelve

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Wearing a robe he had snatched from a redheaded teenaged boy, Xander wandered through Hogsmeade like one of the natives.

One thing he had to say for the wizarding world, there were a lot of people that could use the attentions of a good dentist, a couple of good stylists, and maybe some quick applications of Lasik surgery 'cause this was just ridiculous. Especially the pitiful lady with the wild gray hair and the Coke bottle lens glasses swathed in reams of fluttery fabric that had shot him such a horrified look before scuttling off down the street. What a freak.

Idly twiddling the wand in his right hand, he made mental notes about what he was going to change about things around here once he ruled it all. And the top of his current list was getting rid of all the giggly school girls that kept giving him the eye before ducking away. That had always been a personal pet peeve of his.

This place is kind of lame, he thought, sighing.

Sure, an entire society of magic users was kind of cool at first glance, but when you really got down to it... lame.

The wizards and witches, with all of their power and everything, lived like they were stuck in the 18th century. They were all backwards and everything, and looking at them from a modern perspective, they were actually pretty pitiful. Because for all their great power... they really couldn't do anything that technology couldn't replicate.

Sure, transfiguration was neat and so was apparation and animorphising, but they weren't exactly essential skills, especially when they were used for such useless reasons. And there was tons of things that science could do that these guys with all of their magic didn't even know how to start with.

They don't even have TV, he thought.

Xander glared at a girl that wandered too close to him, then snorted when she squeaked in fright and skittered away. These magic people were really not impressing him.

Once I have my fun with these guys, he thought, I don't think I ever want to have anything to do with this wizarding world again. It's stupid.

Of course, by the time he was done with them, they probably wouldn't be having anything to do with anything else themselves.

He wandered back down the street the way he came. Puppy and Parrot were waiting back at the lair and he could really use something to take the edge off and sex was always fun.

.

The body of Fred Weasley was found with a broken neck in the alley between Weasley Wizarding Wheezes and the Discount Broom Emporium. He had been stripped to his underpants and there were fingerprint shaped bruises all over his body. His wand was missing.

.

13. part thirteen

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"He was a monster, Albus, a monster with the face of a boy," Sibyll Trewlaney stuttered, her hands twisting together in flustered knots.

"Who was a monster, Sibyll?" Dumbledore asked, looking at her over his half-moon glasses.

"The creature in Diagon Alley. He was like a gaping maw. He wanted to swallow everything. Consume us all, every one of us."

"Have you been drinking again, Sibyll?" Dumbledore asked.

She shook her head with violent fervor. "No, Albus, I have not been drinking again! I Saw him with my own eyes, I did. He was hunger given flesh. He was just walking down the street like he wasn't a monster but a man. He wasn't even really trying to hide what he was, but no one else could see it. He's going to kill us all, Albus. He's going to eat the world whole."

"I think perhaps you need to rest, Sibyll," Dumbledore said, adding slight emphasis on her name as though to calm her like she was a wild animal.

She glared at him, this man she had respected for so long. He really didn't understand anything. He was so blind for all his power. "You're going to let this happen, aren't you?"

"Let what happen?" he asked.

Her lips twitched spasmodically. "I can See it now. You're so focused on the visible evil that you're going to let him creep in on us completely unhindered and by the time you do anything... it's going to be much too late."

"Are you talking about Voldemort?"

She growled in exasperation. "This has nothing to do with You-Know-Who, Albus. I don't know who he is... but he's hungry and he's never going to be satisfied until the entire world is consumed."

"Maybe you should have a lie down, Sibyll," Dumbledore said.

"Whatever you say, Albus, but when the time comes... don't you dare pretend that I didn't warn you. Voldemort is a great evil... but he is not the only evil."


	2. Chapter 2

14. part fourteen

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Xander listened while Puppy and Parrot told him about the boy savior of the wizarding world, Mr Harry James Potter.

"So basically, his big deal is the fact that he didn't die when he was supposed to?" Xander snorted. "That's his big claim to fame? For reals?"

"Voldemort... he was the Dark Lord and nobody had ever survived him before Harry," Parrot said, her voice taking on a fluttery quality he didn't like.

Xander's hand shot out, gripping her tight around the neck as he dragged her close. "Don't get all fangirl on me about some stupid little boy," he snarled. "You're mine now and he's nothing, understand?"

She jerked her head in a nod, her eyes locked on his face as though it was the center of her world.

He released her neck, stroking the side of her face with his hand. "Whatever your life was like before, that's all over now. You belong to me." He leaned forward, kissing her lips gently at first, but ending by viciously biting her lower lip, drawing blood with his merely human teeth.

She looked at him out of glowing eyes, blood pouring from her torn flesh even as it already began to heal itself. Her cloud of golden brown hair swirled around her shoulders and the sapphire blue shift dress she'd shimmied on over her nakedness only made her seem that much more the innocent girl. Anyone seeing her for the first time wouldn't even think to assume she was a horrible blood sucking monster on the inside. It actually made Xander kind of proud of her.

He had had his share of minions, but it was nice to have a couple of Childer. They were smarter for one thing, and when they finally grew up... they would be Masters in their own right. And everything they had would belong to him in the end.

"Why don't you come over here too," he said, crooking a finger at Puppy.

The once proud man scrambled up on the bed. He'd been looking forlorn standing on the sidelines; now he looked positively joyous.

It always made Xander feel good to know that he was the one with all the power. It was the way things were meant to be.

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15. part fifteen

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At the best of times Grimmauld Place was gloomy and depressing, but then everyone had been on edge dealing with the capture and probable death of Snape. Then had come the news about poor Fred.

The Weasleys had bonded together and there was no way Molly was letting any of her children out of her sight. Somehow Harry had been included in their number, not that he particularly minded.

He was feeling a bit out of sorts and his scar had taken to throbbing with almost-pain at the strangest moments.

"It feels as though he's... puzzled?" It came out sounding more like a question than he planned but he couldn't help that. He was getting a nagging sense of wrongness and he rather thought it was Voldemort's confusion more than his own.

Harry was seated next to Molly with the rest of the Order arrayed around the room. He was glad of her presence as he was uncomfortable being the center of attention.

"Can you tell why he's puzzled?" Dumbledore asked, leaning forward in his armchair.

Harry shook his head. "I think he got some unexpected news, but I don't know anything more."

"Hm." Dumbledore steepled his hands in front of his chin as he thought. "I wish we knew more, but without Severus we will have to handle things alone. Come to me after the meeting Harry and we'll work on your Occlumency some more."

Without Snape, Dumbledore had been teaching Harry himself. Harry had thought it would be easy and that the only reason why he couldn't get it before was because Snape was a terrible teacher. It might still have been true, but Harry was starting to think he might be a terrible student too.

He'd seen the frustration in Dumbledore's eye.

There was a sudden clatter from the other room and a rather ashen faced Arthur came into the room.

"Arthur?" Molly questioned. Her hands were clenched in the folds of her dress.

Arthur gave them all a pained look before focusing on Du3mbledore. "Albus, I've just come from the Ministry. A news report came to Muggle Affairs. Hermione and her family... they've been killed."

"Death Eaters?" Dumbledore had gone pale. He suddenly looked years older.

"No," Arthur said. "They think it was one of those muggle serial killers or some such. There were no traces of magic."

Even as Ginny cried and Ron raged and the whole room seemed to break into an uproar, Harry sat perfectly still. It felt as though his ears had been stuffed with cotton because he didn't know what to do. There was just nothing.

Hermione was dead, and he felt completely hollow.

.

16. part sixteen

.

It was lucky that Parrot was almost Willow-smart-pre-vampire Willow smart-yet not nearly so babbly. It meant Xander could use her big brain without feeling like he wanted to stab her quiet. He considered it a win.

"We're different from the vampires I've read about," she said. "I don't think the Wizarding world has ever seen anything like us."

"I've never heard of any other kind of vamp," Xander said. "I've seen a ton of demons, but no other kind of vampire."

He hated the thoughtful thinking moments the most, but sometimes they were necessary. Like now, when he was wondering what was going on and whether he was still in his own world. It wasn't like he was going to call the Master and ask.

"Is this still my world? I'm kind of thinking not. I would have noticed people waving wands around." Xander flopped backwards in the overstuffed armchair Puppy had scrounged from somewhere. The lair was actually getting to be rather homey with all the added little touches. Like the naked blond nailed to the wall, her "wrackspurt" babbling mouth sewn shut with thick black thread.

"Things have all gone strange," he mused, then grinned, "but it's good. If I did travel over from one world to the next, then I don't have to worry about anyone I know horning in on my fun. Plus, no Slayer."

He wasn't scared of the idea of the Slayer. Older vampires had worried fretfully about her making an appearance in Sunnyhell, but the Master had made her afraid of showing her face. Last Xander had heard, she'd died in the underbelly of Berlin and the new girl was so raw there were bets she wouldn't last her first year.

Xander had loved story time with Spike and hearing all about the Slayers he'd killed-it was four at last count. Spike had earned himself the name Slayer Killer, and he never went after the new girls; he liked them with some experience under their belt to add to the danger.

"What's the Slayer?" Parrot asked curiously. She was sitting at his feet with Puppy at her side, both their faces lifted toward him attentively. It was adorable how willing they were to learn.

He looked at them a long moment, tempted to shove them away, but he forced himself to be patient. They were his first Childer and it was his job to train them for the world, where all their glories would be his own.

"The Slayer is always a girl," he began, his voice unconsciously taking on the same tone Spike had used. "She hunts our kind and courts the death we offer, but she's only willing to lie down to the strongest. Every other little vampire or demon she meets, she kills as easily as we kill the humans."

It felt good to be the one looked up to and obeyed. He had pets of his own, and just like he'd promised his doubting mother, he was willing to take care of them. She'd never believed him and never allowed him a pet as a kid, but now he was proving her wrong.

Just like when he'd killed her. "You can't do this," she'd screamed.

And he'd done it.

.

17. part seventeen

.

Puppy was wracked with bad dreams. The burning on his arm made him want to scream and kill, but he held it all in. He hoped it would stop hurting on its own.

Puppy could tell when Master noticed something was wrong because there was a sudden chilling in his blood and he couldn't help sinking low to the floor, trying to get as flat as possible. He took off his shirt when commanded.

"What is that?" Master poked at the Dark Mark, grimacing at how swollen it was, the skin having pulled tight enough to split open. Blood oozed out slowly.

"The Dark Mark, Master," Puppy whispered.

Master looked at him and seemed to know he wouldn't be getting much coherent information, not when Puppy was biting his lips bloody to hold in the pain. "Parrot!"

Parrot was wearing a pink taffeta dress today, all cupcake ruffles and her hair teased into spiral curls. When she stood next to him in her polished black Mary Janes, Puppy saw that she was wearing black stockings with faint heart designs. He had to curl his hands into fists to keep from reaching out and running his hand up her leg.

He zoned out while she explained the Death Eaters and the Dark Mark to Master. The pain in his arm felt as though it were gouging into the bone and he could feel it expanding up his shoulder, throbbing heat. The Dark Lord was calling with all His might at the moment, much worse than all those other times when He had His followers call instead.

Puppy cringed back when Master was suddenly in front of him, staring into his eyes.

"You seriously have this connection to Moldywort?" At Puppy's shamed nod, Master laughed. "Perfect."

"Master?" Puppy asked.

Master gripped Puppy's left arm hard, a hand above and a hand below the Dark Mark. He examined it intently, jerking the arm this way and that.

Puppy cried out in a mixture of pain and pleasure as Master's face twisted and he lunged forward, biting the Dark Mark.

There was a ripping, tearing agony that made Puppy scream and flail, but Master kept him from pulling away. There was the moist sucking of his blood being drawn, but it felt as though Master was sucking out something else at the same time, something DARK and poisonous that Puppy hadn't known lived under his skin.

It was torment, jagged teeth buried in his flesh and the pain he felt magnified until burning agony was all he knew...

Until suddenly it stopped. The pain was gone and Master pulled away with a bloody smile. His face was still twisted and animalish, his eyes gleaming gold. He was beautiful.

"First lesson most big time magic users learn: Don't leave an open mark. It's an invitation to vampires." Master used the front of Parrot's dress to wipe the blood off his face. "Looks like Moldywort just got a valuable lesson."

Master seemed to vibrate with energy, his skin twitching and jerking. When his face shifted back to his human mask, he still wore a manic grin.


	3. Chapter 3

18. part eighteen

.

He had been summoning Snape for days and He was getting angry about the lack of response. He expected His followers to give instantly into His demands.

Lord Voldemort paced His private chamber as He lashed at Severus Snape with the Dark Mark. There were the echoes of screams in the stillness and He knew that Snape suffered. The Mark was still connected, which made his failure to respond a purposeful defiance.

He was in the midst of sending Snape a great amount of pain when there was the sudden sensation of being struck hard, a sharp thrust right between His eyes and back into His brain. He gagged.

He staggered and lost His footing, but He didn't feel himself hit the floor over the shattering experience overtaking Him.

Pain, fear, AGONY, and the red red rush of He didn't even know what. Sensations so intense that He saw them as blazing colors and there was the taste of copper pennies on His tongue.

He was drowning and flailing and there was no way to cut himself free. He tried to retreat, gathered up all of His strength and tried to rip away from that grasping, clawing grip. He could feel himself TEARING apart and it was unbearable torment.

Then came the bottoming sensation. It felt as though He'd fallen down a deep well and waiting was some hungry thing that began to chew at Him, to gnash the flesh from His bones.

He didn't even realize He was SCREAMING until Lucius appeared above Him with a horrified expression.

Then there was the rushing red of a stunner point blank.

Relief. And darkness.

*.*.*

Xander licked his lips and smiled.

Puppy was sleeping now, exhausted from all that he'd suffered. He'd barely held awake long enough to ask what had happened.

"Never invite a vampire in," Xander whispered again, then laughed. He held out his hand to Parrot. "Come here."

He dragged her onto the bed where Puppy slept and they fucked passionately next to him. Xander laughed when Puppy's body jounced up and down yet he didn't wake.

Xander fairly vibrated with stolen strength and already he wanted more.

There were other Death Eaters with their Dark Marks all tying them to their master. And Xander didn't have to worry about damaging them because he didn't care for them the way he did Puppy.

The thought of ripping the magic out of wizards sent a wave of excitement through him, and Parrot cried out in pained pleasure. He would suck down power until he burst, and still take more.

Until Lord Moldywort was begging for death.

*.*.*

Harry woke with a scream, writhing and clutching his bleeding scar. Nothing could stop the pain, not the strongest potions or spells.

He screamed until his voice gave out and those watching were nearly in tears. Eventually he lost consciousness.

The Order was relieved. For a few hours.

.

19. part nineteen

.

Being the stand in godfather for the son of one of his best friends could be mildly terrifying. Harry was a boy that Remus barely knew, yet he could see those green eyes begging him with every look to take him home and save him. To tell all those stories of James and Lily and make them real in the mind of their child.

It wasn't a giant secret that Harry's home life wasn't the best, and Sirius had had plenty to say about Dumbledore in private. There had been tons of dreams wasted there when Sirius died, and not all of them were Harry's.

Sirius had so wanted to give the boy a good home and some semblance of a childhood. But death had a tendency to make a fool of all men.

Now it was left to Remus Lupin to take up the slack of all those that came before, the one member of the Marauders that had never once thought about wanting a child. And not just because he was an unemployed werewolf relegated to accepting the crumbs at life's buffet.

No, Remus didn't have a single clue how to be a parent. The very thought of it was terrifying.

So when he went to wake Harry and the boy didn't stir... for one single moment he felt relieved. It was as though an impossible weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His freedom would remain his own.

That moment would haunt him for the rest of his life.

*.*.*

Harry Potter was in a coma. There was a chance that he was going to die.

Whatever Voldemort had done to him had severely depleted his still maturing magical core. The shock to Harry's system was enough that even if he ever managed to wake up, there was a good chance he would have permanent brain damage.

Dumbledore felt tired and old as he stared at the boy lying pale and still on the bed. Harry looked so young. No, he *was* young. And his life might be over before it had a chance to really begin.

And Voldemort was still out there, with no Chosen One to stop him.

"Well, my boy, this certainly has become a dreadful situation," Dumbledore murmured. It had been a long time since he had felt so helpless.

The war was coming, and already the side of Light was down its most important weapon.

Which meant that Harry *couldn't* be the true child of prophecy.

A new resolve went through Albus Dumbledore and he felt his spine straightening. If Harry wouldn't be able to fight, then a different warrior would have to be found.

Turning on his heel, Dumbledore left the bedroom and the once boy hero behind.

There was still a war to be won after all. For the Greater Good...

.

20. part twenty

.

The world smelt different than ever before to Puppy. He could ignore the smog and the stench of unwashed bodies because he could scent out the deeper aromas of pulsing blood and potential. It was as though those with whatever made a good vampire glowed to his sight and their scent was rich and enticing. It seemed as though each and every one of them was quietly calling his name, begging him to listen. Begging him to eat them alive.

Puppy forced himself to ignore all the delightful smells. If he could have gotten away with a Bubblehead Charm he would have used it. It was too noticeable though and he didn't have a wand that worked properly for him, which is why he was here. A wand for him and a wand for Parrot.

Magic was a distant thrum that was harder for him to reach, but it was still there, waiting for him. Calling to him as it always had.

The wizard born vampires he had known of lost their magic when they were Turned, but the kind of vampire Master had made him was different. He could still feel and reach his magic, though instinct drove him to want to use his fists and fangs as a first option.

Master had made the world new to him and he didn't want to change anything. Not when the loneliness of before was replaced with Master and Parrot. They were the heart of his world and he was happier than he'd ever been.

Puppy kept the hood of his robe up as he skulked down Knockturn Alley. Even here he was cautious of being recognized, knowing that Master had plans for the Wizarding world. Being seen by either Dumbledore's or the Dark Lord's followers would ruin Master's fun.

Master hadn't explained what the plan was - and Puppy wasn't sure there even *was* a plan - but Puppy knew that as long as he did as the Master wanted, everything would be all right.

He hurried to the secondhand wand shop, suddenly wishing to be back in Master's too tight embrace.

*.*.*

Was that Severus Snape?

There was a familiarity to the way the hooded man held his shoulders. He would have have been able to recognize the other man in any situation.

Paying for the asphodel he'd been haggling over seconds before, he followed after Snape.

He would see where he went and make a report. They would find out Snape's loyalty once and for all.

*.*.*

It was probably bad of him, using Puppy as a stalking goat, but he was bored and wanted to see what kind of lovelies he'd be allowed to play with.

Xander glanced at his new doll.

She'd been full of babbling crazy when alive and Parrot had been disgusted by her, but there'd been something familiar in her blood that Xander refused to ignore. He'd Turned her, though it would be a while yet before she Awoke for the first time.

Waste not, want not. And killing a semi-latent Seer... that would be a waste.

Xander could see that Parrot was pouting and it made him have to hide his smile. Jealousy was one of the funner emotions to play with and it was better that Parrot learned this lesson young.

He'd hate having to kill her. Replacements were so hard to find.


	4. Chapter 4

The devilish smile Parrot wore looked good on her, with the sheen of lip gloss on her lips and her curled hair framing her face. She looked like something out of a history book in the mauve petticoat and bone corset. She was all ruffles and lace and every look at her had Xander flicking his lower lip with his tongue.

She had been a good choice for a Childe. Great eye candy to the masses that didn't know better, and a sharp intelligence locked up in her head.

Xander lounged indolently in the armchair he'd claimed, waiting for the entertainment to begin.

His newest toy, which he had renamed Dove, was curled up at his feet, her pale hair hanging loose around her shoulders like the young girl she used to be. She played with an orange striped kitten she'd found from somewhere, her fingers teasing the milk plump belly until there was a sputtering attempt at a rumbling purr.

They were in a garishly wall papered sitting room with a low ceiling and furniture that could have come from Willow's dollhouse when they were kids. It looked like something out of a PBS special and Xander couldn't help being amused by how *British* everything seemed. There was even a crackling fire in the fireplace and a silver tea service on the round table near his elbow.

"Wipe your mouth," he ordered, glancing fondly at Dove. "You need to learn to clean up after yourself so you don't spook the food."

For a second, Dove blinked her watery blue eyes at him, then understanding seemed to dawn. She pulled a handkerchief out of the sleeve of her pretty blue dress. "Sometimes one forgets that she still exists even though the face in the mirror has been disappeared." She scrubbed at her mouth, staining the white cloth with pink and red.

Xander felt oddly indulgent toward her. She was new and young and utterly dependent on him now, but he had a feeling she would be his much saner Dru someday. His little fortune teller always letting him know which way the wind blew before the clouds began to move.

There was a derisive snort from Parrot's direction, but it was faint enough to ignore and she didn't add a commentary so he chose to pretend it hadn't happened. She was jealous of Daddy's new girl, that was all. She would either learn to get along, or he would crack her open, rearrange her bits, and she would _become_ someone that got along.

His toys were his to break, no one else's.

There was the sound of a low moan from the hideous green couch. Xander couldn't help a faint grin of anticipation.

"Parrot, why don't you teach your sister how we play?" he offered.

Parrot looked delighted that she was going to be the one to start the game, while at the same time the glance she slanted toward Dove was less than pleased. She didn't say anything though, just left her window perch and trotted to the woman blinking terrified eyes from the couch. It was always so funny when someone realized they were tied up and helpless, unable to stop anything that might decide to happen.

Dove was as curious as the kitten she'd released onto the carpet with a softly commanding, "Stay, Tabby." She went to stand beside Parrot, her bare toes curling and her hands going behind her back to show she wouldn't touch without permission.

Xander flopped his head back and watched the show through half-closed eyes. A thought flitted through his head, and a second later Dove began to sway and hum cheerfully.

He grinned when he recognized the song as "Singing In the Rain," definitely not something someone raised in the backward world of witch people would recognize.

Soon Puppy would be back and Xander would have fun opening his gifts. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that some tasty goody would try to follow his Puppy home. That's why they were here, on this quiet suburban street, in this green square of a house.

There was no reason to bloody up their lair when when there were plenty of houses to play in. Houses full of toys.

The woman screamed, shrill and unpleasant, until she stopped.


	5. Chapter 5

Puppy made his way back to the house where he'd left Master. He had two wands in his pocket and he hoped that the one for Parrot would work. At least Dove still had her original wand so he hadn't had to bother getting another one for her.

The green house they'd taken over blazed in the night with all of the lights except for the porch light on. There was an easy silencing ward around the place, probably the best that Dove could manage with her unfinished education.

When Puppy breached the ward, it was as though he'd stepped from silence into sound. Someone was screaming, a shrill sound that had long since lost all trace of intelligence or personality. As he pushed open the front door, the sound sputtered out and went silent.

He closed the door and walked toward the sound of voices. Master was quiet, but Puppy could clearly hear Parrot using her most authoritative voice. Dove's questions were softly worded.

The sitting room he stepped into was a scene of a horror. The horrid couch was splattered with a glistening layer of blood and viscera. There was a tiny kitten batting at some of the stains on the rug, leaving footprints everywhere.

It seemed as though Parrot and Dove had decided to play with the food. Their skin was lightly flushed from stolen life and excitement and even in demon-face they were beautiful.

Master must have seen the dismay on his face because he laughed. "I know you're hungry Puppy, but no worries. I sent out for delivery."

Puppy furrowed his brow. "What do you..."

The sound of the ward alarm being triggered made Master chortle and kick his heels. His eyes were bright with excitement. "They're here!" he caroled happily.

Being used as bait should have made Puppy frightened of what else Master might do, but really all he felt was Hunger. He wondered who had dared to follow him and how many Master would let him drain.

"Remember children, we're trying to build up our vampire army here," Master said. "We'll Turn the better ones to see how useful they'll be."

"What if they're awful?" Parrot cocked her head.

Master shrugged. "Fledges are easy to get rid of and there's always more out there."

Puppy didn't miss the warning inherent. Displeasing Master would never be the smartest action. He hadn't needed a special lesson to figure that out though.

He hoped his new brothers and sisters weren't going to be completely awful. He'd never had much fondness for the other Death Eaters, so to be trapped with them for hundreds of years... He didn't know if he could manage it if they didn't receive some kind of permanent attitude adjustment.

Which was a thought that put a rather obscene feeling smile on his face. Even from the inside he could tell that it was a horrifying expression.

If he were a good boy, maybe Master would let him be the one to recondition his old compatriots. Puppy would love to hear the screams.


	6. Chapter 6

23. part twenty-three

.

If there was one thing Xander had learned about wizards, it was that they lacked all subtlety. They relied too much on being able to wave their wands and fix any situation. It made them sloppy.

And he had never turned down the chance to exploit a weakness.

The front door burst open with the sound of a splitting frame then there was the pounding of feet rushing inside. Xander couldn't help an anticipatory smile as he cocked his head to listen.

Having Parrot and Dove rip up the horrible carpet to expose the hardwood had seemed like an amusing idea. Especially when Parrot showed Dove a spell for polishing the floor to a high gloss sheen. A little extra oomph, and suddenly things were a bit more Home Alone than these backwards British wizards were expecting.

There was a clatter and an explosion of curses from more than one voice. Whoever the leader was tried to hush them and was jeered at for his efforts.

Xander gestured to Puppy who was standing beside the door with a wand in hand.

Puppy leaned out. "Serpensortia! Sectumsepra! Stupefy!" His face was hard with concentration, but there was no hesitation and he flicked his wand with authority.

There were yelps from the other room along with surprised pained screams and the thump of a body hitting the floor. Xander thought he heard the angry hiss of a snake and felt his mouth stretch in an unpleasant smile.

He thought he might enjoy finding out what magic could do. Especially when someone creative was the one coming up with the ideas.

Then there was the mocking laughter of Parrot and Dove interspersed with curses and charms. He'd sent them out the side window to come around to the front of the house. It must have been easy for them to come up behind a bunch of startled and wounded wizards.

Then Parrot shrieked in surprised fear as someone shouted "Bombarda!" and the whole house shook and there was the crash of a wall coming down.

Xander snarled and shoved past Puppy into the living room. Someone had hurt one of his girls.

There was a confusion of fallen plaster and the smell of fresh blood. The masked wizards were grouped together in a square with their wands pointed outward. There was the long body of a decapitated cobra on the floor, oozing dark blood.

Dove was standing over the still form of Parrot, a terrible rage twisting her usually placid face. There was the shimmer of some kind of protective shield floating in front of them. Every time it was hit with a spell, there a point of impact and a flowing ripple outward.

A tall man with rough, straw-like yellow-blond hair stabbed his wand toward Dove. "Aveda Ke..."

Xander grabbed a decorative plate off an end table and flung it with all the skill of a childhood spent playing Frisbee. There was a satisfying "Clunk!" as it hit the man on the back of the head. His legs folded.

Suddenly finding himself under the attention of several irate wizards, Xander grinned and ran straight at them, dodging bolts of light. They didn't seem to understand that the shouting and wand pointing was a big giveaway as to where they were aiming.

He laughed at the sound of splintering wood behind him and a patch of floor near his right foot grew a thatch of bright red hair. He dodged and he weaved and suddenly he was upon them.

The first wizard he grabbed put up a pitiful attempt at a physical fight before Xander slugged him hard enough to crack bone and dropped him for the next.

There were screams and shouts and Puppy was still throwing out curses from off to one side, distracting the wizards as Xander took them apart.

They didn't seem to know what to do when danger was up close and personal; their wands allowed them to kill and torture from a distance. And now they were seeing their own blood shed.

It was a beautiful symphony and he couldn't resist cheerily humming along.

The violence was in his blood.

.

24. part twenty-four

.

Parrot was hurt. Her entire lower half had been crushed by the bombardment spell. If she had been human, she would have already died.

As a vampire she gasped out curses and slapped weakly at Dove's fluttering hands. Her face jumped from grimacing demon snarl to sweaty browed, agonized humanity. She could see her entrails spread across the floor along with shards of shattered bone.

She wondered if she was going to die. And it made her angry.

Being a vampire meant living forever, yet here she was dying? It was the height of all unfairness.

The fighting wrapped itself up, then Master knelt down beside her, his lips twisting in slight revulsion. She knew she must make an awful sight and her dress was ruined. A few tears trickled out of the corners of her eyes.

"I bet you're feeling pretty crappy, huh?" He snorted and turned to snap his fingers at one of the Death Eaters. "Dove, go get that one. Parrot will need blood to heal."

"So... I'm not going to die?" Parrot hated how weak and pathetic she sounded, but it was something she had to know.

Master laughed. "From something like this? With *me* right here?" He shook his head. "You're going to hurt a lot while you heal, but you'll be fine."

He stood up and stepped out of the way so Dove could thump down an unconscious body within Parrot's reach. "You eat this guy and I'll get back to you," Master said. "Come on Dove, we'll need your help."

Dove scrambled to follow Master, her rainbow striped socks a cheerful splash of color.

Reaching out, Parrot locked her fingers on the man's shoulder and dragged the large body close. She needed to eat to get well, Master had said.

*. * .*

He thought that Parrot was going to die and he would have to get a new plaything. She was really messed up, and even if she'd been an older vampire he still might think she was going to bite the big one. Still, the whole living or dying thing, it was out of his hands.

If she got enough blood, she might heal up all right. It was up to her.

He went to supervise Puppy and Dove locking their new toys up in three conjured metal cages. He'd made sure the bodies were thoroughly searched for escape tools and finally just had Puppy vanish their clothes.

He liked to see what he was buying.

So far he wasn't that impressed. It looked like wizards didn't believe in working out and most of these guys were his parents' age before he killed them. There were so many pot bellies and wrinkled sacks that he didn't know where he was supposed to look.

"Maybe we should have left the clothes on," he said, turning away with a grimace. "Do wizards not believe in cardio?"

Puppy looked confused. "What is cardio?"

Xander threw his hands up in the air with a laugh. "Pathetic. A whole world of magic folk just waiting to be taken out."

He looked toward Parrot who had managed to drain a guy at least three times her size and still looked like she could go for more. It looked like her body was already beginning to knit itself back together and he was pleased to think he wasn't going to have to get a new Parrot.

He walked over to her and looked over the damage. It still looked bad.

"Let's get this stuff all back inside where it belongs," he said. He crouched down next to her and was careful not to get any of her guts on his pants as he stuffed her organs back inside her body.

She had exploded like an overcooked hotdog. The thought made him giggle.

"All right, looks good," he said.

She gave him a doubtful look. "Will I have all kinds of scars?" she asked.

He shrugged. "You won't be winning any beauty contests for a while, but you'll heal up. It will just take time."

Her mouth shaped a little "o" and he could see the lively curiosity flooding back into her eyes. Wizard blood seemed to have a real kick to it. "What else can we heal from?" she asked.

"Lots of stuff," he said. "We're real fragile to fire and staking, and holy objects are a bitch, but other than that..." He grinned. "It's much better than being human."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an ivory handled pocket knife. He unfolded it with a "snikt!" sound and slashed quickly, watching how his flesh opened like a red lined mouth.

"Slayer blood might give a boost of strength, but Master's blood is always the best," Xander said, holding his wrist against Parrot's mouth. "Take a sip. It will heal you right up."

She lapped at first, her tongue probing curiously, then she vamped out and chomped down. He thought about thumping her on the head for her presumption, but she was still just a fledge. He would need to teach her better manners.

Feeling his blood being dragged out of him, he turned his head to look toward Puppy and Dove.

Puppy had his arms crossed and was watching Dove poke at their prisoners, trying to wake them up so she could play. The kitten had wandered in from the other room and she had pulled it onto her lap where it had curled into a ball.

They were all just fledges; he would have to remember that. They were looking to him for guidance and instruction. His was the voice they would follow and obey, the center of their world.

He was the Master now.

It made him grin.


End file.
